#wes molebash

[thewesmolebash-blog]

I used to be a Christmas cynic. During most of my twenties and early thirties, I felt that Christmas is meant to be celebrated AFTER Thanksgiving. I’d roll my eyes at people who dusted off their Christmas music collection after Halloween, and I’d be thoroughly disgusted with Christmas displays popping up at retail stores in September (and sometimes as early as August!).

But my cynicism began to wane when I became a father.

These days, I have a hard time avoiding the Christmas spirit once Fall starts rolling in. It’s hard not to daydream about what presents I want to get for my kids or what traditions might get started this year. These early years of parenthood are an exciting time for the holidays because the experiences are so new! 

That said, it is kinda weird being the only person in the office listening to Christmas music in September...

[thewesmolebash-blog]

When you’re a “big kid at heart” like I am, it can be hard to tell if your spouse has bought a gift for you or for your children. My advice: ALWAYS assume the gift is for the children.

[thewesmolebash-blog]

Modern technology has allowed us parents to have CIA-like access into the lives of our children. We have video monitors in bedrooms, we can track smartphone and tablet use with our own smartphones and tablets, and we can determine the appropriateness of TV shows and movies without even watching them! I’m not trying to suggest that these resources are bad; in fact Kari and I employ all of these methods in our parenting. But I think we “modern parents” need to come to terms with an uncomfortable fact:

21st century parents stalk their children. We’re child stalkers.

Sleep tight, America.

[leighlim]

I don’t know where the seeds come from, but I’ve been tempted to plant some to see what happens.

Wes Molebash

[thewesmolebash-blog]

MOLEBASHED Season 2 is nigh!

How nigh?

Like, NEXT-MONDAY-nigh!

I’ve had a BLAST during my time away from the strip, but I can’t wait to share new cartoons with you guys and gals! Thanks for waiting patiently while Kari and I welcomed our second son into the world, and while I recharged my creative batteries.

Before Season 2 premieres next week, here are a few things you should know about the cartoon versions of Wes, Kari, and Parker:

+ The Molebashes have aged a little bit! Most notably, Parker. We’ll kick off the season with his first birthday. WHAT?! I know! Kids grow up so fast!

+ MOLEBASHED will be published in a new format! Instead of the standard daily newspaper comic format, MOLEBASHED will adopt a 2x2 format that will look really good on mobile devices. It’s 2016, people. We creatives gotta be all about that mobile.

+ New season = new color scheme! I love working with a limited color scheme! Not only does it look cool and “vintage”, but it’s also makes the process of creating comics very efficient. Season 2 is a great time to freshen the paint, so to speak. I hope you love the new scheme as much as I do!

+ Get ready for MOLEBASHED Mondays! Season 2 will update once-per-week on Mondays! Why am I going to a once-a-week schedule after doing three strips per week in Season 1? Well, mainly because I have an infant in my house again and he’s completely screwed up my routine (not a complaint; just an observation). I hope to get back to the three-a-week schedule for Season 3!

+ MOLEBASHED will continue to celebrate the Dad Life! And the Mom Life, too. But mostly the dads.

The wait is almost over, folks! I’ll see you next Monday for the season premiere of MOLEBASHED!

[thewesmolebash-blog]

Not only do I think it’s OK to dream about the next stage of your child’s life, but I also think it’s OK to be excited about teaching your kids how to pursue your passions. So, if you enjoy sports, it’s OK to want to teach your kids how to throw a football. If you’re an artist, it’s OK to want to teach your kids how to paint. And, if you’re a musician, it’s OK to want to teach your kids how to play your instrument of choice. Again, this is normal stuff and it’s not an indicator that you’re some helicopter parent who elements any freedom their children could have regarding their hobbies and pursuits.

The key is being willing and able to adapt when your child has little to no interest in your passions. Especially if their passions seem boring and uninteresting to you.

My mom is an artist, so growing up she taught me a lot about art and how to appreciate it. My dad, on the other hand, didn’t have much interest in art. But he tried. I can remember showing him comic strips I was working on in junior high school, and he would stare at them for the longest time. He’d point out things he liked and he encouraged me like crazy. I may not have been able to talk to dad about all the technical stuff like I could with my mom, but knowing he was proud of me and took interest in what I was doing meant a lot! I want to  be that for Parker, no matter what he pursues.

[thewesmolebash-blog]

Parker went through a phase were he spit up a lot. It lasted about a month or two, and it was during this season that I noticed how casually he reacted whenever he vomited. He was completely unphased by the fluid erupting from his throat. I thought this behavior was unique to my son, but I noticed a couple other infants casually vomiting and that’s when it dawned on me that it must be a “baby thing.”

Baby spit up is one of those things that you just have to be ready and willing to embrace. It’s part of the package when you get a child. You get all the coos and cute laughter and sweet-smelling heads, but you also get the poop and the vomit. In fact, you’ll encounter so much spit up that you’ll develop a preference for certain kinds of spit up rags:

“I like these rags for over my shoulder because they’re absorbent, but these rags are softer and are perfect for wiping spit up off of faces.”

If you’re currently expecting your first child and you were, until now, completely unaware of the copious amounts of spit up you’d be dealing with, I apologize. Someone should have told you about this a long time ago. But it’s not too late to prepare. You can still change the future.

[thewesmolebash-blog]

When my wife and I were married, I remember thinking, “This must be what God’s love is like!” After all, the institution of marriage seems like a perfect illustration of His love. Think about it:

There’s love. When you marry someone, you’re telling that person, “I’m going to love you no matter what, regardless of what you choose or who you become.”

There’s care. Not only do you love your spouse, but you vow to care for that person for the rest of your life, too. Regardless of his/her health or circumstances, you commit to being by your spouse’s side and helping through the struggles.

There’s sacrifice. Not only do you forsake your own needs in a marriage, but you’ll also use your resources and influence to the benefit of your spouse. You’re not in the marriage for yourself; you’re in it for the betterment of your husband or wife.

I think we can all agree that these attributes of marriage are pretty godly. So it’s no wonder that for the first three years of marriage, the love I had for my wife seemed like the ulitmate reflection of God’s love for me.

But then I had a kid.

When I look at Parker, I think I finally understand how God must feel about us. I helped create Parker, so he looks a little bit like me; he bears my image. The love I have for him is so unconditional, it confounds me. I want him to be happy and healthy in life. I don’t want him to ever have any regrets. I want nothing but GOOD for him.

Yet, I have absolutely no control over any of that.

All I can do is love him and guide him and teach him and advise him, but ultimately the choices are his to make and his alone. But I will continue to love him no matter what.

I have to believe this is how God loves us. He wants nothing but goodness and happiness for us, but He doesn’t control us. All He can do is love us and guide us and teach us and advise us, but the choices are ours to make. And you know what?

He’ll continue to love us no matter what.